INITIAL preparations have already started for Taree’s assault on the State Age division three under 15 netball championship next year.
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This follows the under 14 side’s win in division four at the State Age held in Sydney.
Taree won 19 of their 20 games, losing the one match to runners up Singleton. However, despite their dominance the final result was a close run thing.
“There was only a couple of points between the top sides,’’ Bec Chicken, who coached the side with Lindy King explained.
“It came down to the last match. We played Cessnock and Singleton played Ulladullah. If we’d lost and Singleton won, Singleton would have been the champions.’’
Taree had a slight advantage at halftime but a strong defence in the second section paved the way for a 16-8 victory to clinch the championship by a solitary point.
Bec said an emotional team session on the night before the championship, where all the players spoke, was a defining moment in the campaign.
“You could tell they were ready to play from there,’’ she said.
While reluctant to single out any one player, the coaches agreed the consistency from the midfield proved to be decisive, along with the team’s defence.
Taree finished sixth in the under 13s in 2016.
“We were aiming for a top four spot this year,’’ Bec said.
The coaches hope all players will be back for 2018 when they move up to division three and Bec said the coaches have already started planning.
“This will also be their final year in State Age,’’ she added.
Team members were Lara Slade, Samantha Chicken, Jessica Eagles, Abbie Gaul, Katelyn Page, Chanel Leifting, Keira Bosher, Amber Trad, Sarah Christian. Bec Chicken and Lindy King were coaches with Jacinta Gaul the manager.
Taree’s other sides performed solidly at State. The under 13s division three side finished fourth, under 12s seventh while their under 15s division two side came in 18th some of the best netballers in the State.